Top roll supporting and weighting apparatus for textile drafting machines



Y July 28, 1959 F A. YOUNG ET AL 2,896,270

TOP ROLL SUPPbRTING AND WEIGHTING APPARATUS Filed July 23. 1956 FOR TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS FRANKLIN A. YOUNG ALFRED J HASELDEN y 1959 F. A. YOUNG ET AL 2,896,270

TOP ROLL SUPPORTING AND WEIGHTING APPARATUS FOR TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINES Filed July 23, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .maum l4 NVENTORS FRANKLIN A. YO ALFRED J. HASELDEN B 2 5 3 3 2 3 4 2 m-rokuev States ate- 2,896,270 TOP ROLL SUPPORTING AND WEIGHTIN G AP PARATUS FOR TEXTILE DRAFTING MACHINES This invention relates to improvements in the weighting apparatus used for the application of pressure to the top rolls of textile drawing mechanisms of the kind with which spinning and roving frames are equipped.

It is the general object of our invention to provide top I roll supporting and Weighting means for such purposes which will combine the advantageous features of both stirrup dead-weighting and spring-weighting, and in addition will support the front and rear top drawing rolls rigidly when they are in operating position or in inactive positions elevated therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide a swing saddle type of weighting apparatus for use with drawing mechanisms of the so-called Casablancas type system wherein the front and rear top rolls will be releasably held rigidly and securely at all times on a pivotally arranged supporting arm regardless of whether the latter is swung toward or away from a position over the lower fluted drawing rolls, and being further arranged that when it is placed in an operating position over the lower rolls the front top drawing roll and the top apron roll will be dead-weighted simultaneously and the rear top drawing roll will have pressure applied thereon by spring means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a swing saddle type of weighting apparatus of rigid construction and bearing design for holding and supporting the front and rear top drawing rolls, free from any tendency to get out of adjustment and devoid of side motion, and so arranged that the top drawing rolls will be held at all times in perfect alignment with respect to their cooperating bottom fluted drawing rolls.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved weighting apparatus which may be easily applied to existing spinning and roving frames equipped with drawing mechanisms of the Casablancas type two-apron drafting system with a minimum of trouble and expense, and without requiring fundamental alterations of the machine structure in making such conversion.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional View, with parts in side elevation, of a Casablancas type two-apron drafting mechanism of a spinning frame or the like equipped with a swing saddle top roll supporting and weighting apparatus embodying features of the present invention and showing the same in operating position over the sets of drafting devices, the drafting aprons being indicated in broken outline;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, with parts in fragmentary section, of the top roll supporting and weighting arm and saddle assembly of the weighting apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, on enlarged scale, of the forward end portion of the top roll supporting and weighting arm and saddle assembly illustrated in Fig. 1, and showing details of the constructional arrangement of the saddle member thereon and in relation to the ball bearing units of the front and apron top rolls but with the latter removed and indicated in broken outline;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary pictorial view showing a portion of a spinning frame drafting mechanism equipped with a pair of adjoining swing saddle assemblies for supporting and weighting the top rolls thereof, the figure showing one of such swing saddle assemblies in operating relation with two-apron system units of the drafting mechanism and further showing the neighboring swing saddle assembly swung rearward out of weighting relation with the two associated apron system units of the drafting mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a complete swing saddle top roll supporting and weighting assembly unit and illustrating features of its mounting with the associated cap bar member;

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a top drawing roll embodying features of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the top drawing roll illustrated in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a top apron roll embodying features of the present invention;

Fig. 10 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the top apron roll illustrated in Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view illustrating structural details of the cap bar member.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 4, the invention is there shown, for the purposes of illustration only, as embodied in a drawing mechanism of a spinning apparatus for textile fibers operating in accordance with the so-called Casablancas type of drafting system and comprising front and rear pairs of top and bottom drawing rolls 10, fl and 12, 13 respectively, and an intermediate pair of top and bottom apron rolls 14 and 15. The bottom rolls 11, 13 and iii are of customary sectional construction formed of steel and rotatably mounted in suitable bearing members arranged as usual for relative adjustment to vary the spacing between the rolls on a series of supporting roll stands 16 which are carried by and are disposed at definite intervals along the usual roller beam 18 of the machine, all of said rolls extending throughout substantially the length of the machine and each being driven at a definite predetermined speed and in the customary manner. The intermediate apron rolls 14 and 15 are fitted with a pair of endless belts 20 and 21 respectively in accordance with the Casablancas type of drafting system (see Fig. 4), the front loops of the belts 2i) and 21 being formed into a nip adjacent the front drawing rolls 10 and if by means of a pronged tensor member 22 (see Fig. 4) carried by a suitable cradle 23 supported by the apron rolls 14 and 15. Usually the lower drawing rolls 11 and 13 are formed along their length with a series of fluted enlargements or bosses for gripping the yarn, or in the case of the lower apron roll 15 provided with roughened or knurled enlargements or bosses for providing a good driving grip on the belts or aporns 21 running therearound.

The term cradle assembly used in the claims refers to the side plates which rock on the bottom intermediate apron roll and which carry a tensor member and a top intermediate roll over which are passed the drafting belts of the Casablancas system, or to an intermediate drafting means the nip of which may be rocked relative to the nip of the front drafting rolls.

The top rolls 10, 12 and 14 are not continuous but are formed of short length, and commonly one of each of these is provided for each two vertical spindle units of the spinning machine. The top drawing rolls and 12 are of like construction and, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, each has a pair of spaced cot members of correct size assembled on suitable bushings (not shown), the cots :being formed of a suitable synthetic rubber composition and pressed onto a shaft 26 in the vicinity of its ends. The shaft 26 is provided at its end faces with conical centers, as indicated at 27, whereby the rolls may be held during grinding or bufiing of the cots. A sealed lubricant type ball bearing unit generally designated as 28 is located on the shaft 26 midway between the cots, the inner race member 28a of this ball bearing unit having a press fit onto the shaft 26 and the outer race member 2812 of such unit being of predetermined size and formed to precise outer dimensions.

The top apron roll 14 comprises a pair of knurled metal sleeves 30 which are disposed in spaced relation on a shaft 31 and pressed onto the end portions of this shaft.

Collars 32 fast to the shaft and disposed respectively on opposite sides of each of the sleeves 30 form bearings for supporting and guiding the top apron roll 14 in the usual upper notches of the cradle 23. Situated midway between the knurled sleeves 30 on the shaft 31 of the top apron roll 14 there is provided a sealed lubricant type ball bearing unit 34 of identical sleeve and structure as the ball bearing units 28 associated with the top rolls 10 and 12, the inner race member 34a of this ball bearing unit 34 likewise having a press fit on the shaft 31 while the outer race member 3412 thereof is precisely formed to predetermined outer dimensions.

The improved swing saddle assembly provided by this invention for supporting the front and back top drawing rolls 10 and 12 and applying pressure to all the top rolls 10, 12 and 14 comprises in the form herein illustrated a weighting and supporting arm member 35 having an integral rearwardly disposed curved extension 36 which is pivotally mounted at its end to swing about a stationary rod 37 toward and from a position overlying the rows of bottom rolls 11 and 13 (see Fig. 4). The arm member 35 is of heavy construction to prevent any flexing tendency due to the increased weight necessary for the high drafting equipment.

A locking collar 38, as shown in Fig. 11, is afiixed to one end of the rod 37, as by means of a set screw 40, and there is provided integral with this collar an end lug '41 which is adapted to fit into a suitable slot 42 (see Fig. .5) in the usual cap bar bracket portion 43 of the bearing block 44 for the lower back drawing roll 13, on the roll stand 16, and thereby hold the rod in correct position against movement, rotation or otherwise, when in place and while the swing saddle is in operating position. The rod 37 is circumferentially grooved as at 45 (see Fig. 11) and disposed within the groove is a stop pin 46 which is engaged, when the swing arm 35 is raised, by the pin-like tip 47 of an Allen type set screw 48 threaded into a suitable threaded hole in the end of the arm extension 36 of the arm 35.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the front and apron top rolls 10 and 14 respectively are dead-weighted by means of a saddle member 50 from the middle of which is suspended 21 depending stirrup 51 that is connected at its lower end in the usual manner with a conventional weight lever 52 which is fulcrumed at one end to the fulcrum screw 53 and carries at the other end a weight hook 54 on which is hung a weight 55. The back top drawing roll 12 is spring-weighted as by means of a coiled spring 57 which is housed within a suitable open recess or chamber 58 in the underside of the arm 35 adjacent the arm extension 36 thereof and disposed above and communicating with an enlarged semi-circular cavity 59 into which is fitted and partially housed the major portion of the ball bearing unit 28 of the rear top roll 12.

In the particular construction shown, the saddle 50 is arranged to weight both the front top roll 10 and the top apron roll 14 and also support the front top roll 10 only. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the saddle 50 is suspended at an intermediate portion, usually midway thereof, from the forward part of the weighting and supporting arm 35 by means of a longitudinally extending adjusting screw 60 on the saddle and having screw-threaded connection with an internally threaded block or nut element 61 which is disposed transversely of and secured within a longitudinally extending channel portion 62 formed in the underside of the arm 35, the block or nut 61 being immovably secured to the arm 35 by means of a pin 63.

The top of the saddle 50 is provided midway of its ends with a relatively deep cut-out portion or opening as indicated at 65, which forms a pair of lug-like protuberances 66 and 67 by means of which the saddle is guided and supported laterally within the arm 35 during any of its adjusting movements. The adjusting screw 60 has an Allen type socketed shouldered head 68 which is housed in an enlarged counterbore 69 at the entrance to a longitudinally extending bore 70 which loosely accommodates the shank of the screw 60 and extends entirely through the forward protuberance 66 and partially into the rear protuberance 67. The counterbore 69 is internally threaded for accommodating a threaded plug 72 which has a hexagonal bore and is so set as to provide a limited amount of axial movement of the shouldered head 68 of the adjusting screw 60 so that when the latter is turned in the block or nut 61 in an appropriate direction to engage the inner end of the plug 72 continued turning in the same direction will move the saddle outwardly in the channel 62 of the arm 35 as would occur When making fine adjustments of the settings of the top rolls 10 and 14 with respect to their companion bottom rolls. Inward or rearward adjusting movement of the saddle 50 will be effected when the screw 60 is turned'in the opposite direction, at which time the rear face of the socketed head 68 thereof will be engaged with the inner end of the counterbore 69. The plug 72 also serves to lock the adjusting screw 60 in place after the aforementioned adjustments have been made.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the underside of the saddle 50 near its opposite ends is formed with two semi-cylindrical recesses 74 and 75 which have a precision fit with and respectively receive the upper halves of the ball bearing units 28 and 34 of the front and apron top rolls 10 and 14 respectively. Semi-circular cut out portions are provided in the side walls of the channel 62 in the vicinity of the recesses 74 and 75 of such size as to clear the respective shafts 26 and 31 of the top rolls 10 and 14 respectively. The front top drawing roll 10 is retained rigidly and in a releasable manner to the saddle by means of a spring finger 77 one end of which is suitably afiixed to the nose of the saddle 50 by means of a screw 78 and the other end being directed underneath and engaged against the outer raceway 28b of the ball bearing unit 28. The apron top roll 14 is not fastened to the saddle 50 and thus remains in place in the cradle 23 when the arm 35 and the saddle 50 are in a raised position. The rear top roll 12 is retained in the cavity 59 in the arm 35 by means of a spring finger one end of which is suitably aflixed to the arm 35 by means of a screw 86 and the other end being directed and engaged against the outer raceway 34b of the ball bearing unit 34.

This construction permits the cradle assembly to be rocked about the lower intermediate roll 15 to aline the parallel flights of apron belts with the draft nip of the front rolls. This rocking alinement and adjustment, due to the positive contact of the saddle 50 with the weighted arm 35 through the screw 60, block 61, permits the adjustment to be made during the running of the spinning frame, not necessitating a shutdown of the drafting frames. The fixer may make the adjustment by backing off on the threaded retaining plug 72 and thereafter in jik l vi

serting the screw driver into the socketed head 68 to shift the saddle 50 relative to the weighted arm 35. The saddle 50, due to the cooperative relationship between the recess 75 and the bearing 34 of the top apron roll, will maintain a positive engagement with the cradle assembly in all angular positions of adjustment of the assembly to avoid any casual movement of the cradle assembly.

The underside of the saddle 50 also is provided with a central longitudinal groove between the ball bearing housing cavities or recesses 74 and 75, as indicated at 79 (see Fig. 3), and disposed transversely of this groove beneath and in line with the pin 63 is a pin 81 on which is pivoted the slotted upper end of the depending stirrup 51.

By removal of the weight 55 and lever 52 from the stirrup 51 the swing saddle and arm assembly may be svwlng upwards and rotated backwards around the rod 37 which remains stationary.

In view of the foregoing construction it will be seen that the front and rear top drawing rolls and 12 are firmly secured to and supported in the saddle 50 at all times and are raised bodily with the arm 35 when the swing saddle and arm assembly is swung upwardly away from the fluted bottom drawing rolls 1]. and 13 as depicted in Fig. 4. The top apron roll 14, however, automatically fits into the usual open slots of the cradle 23 and thus remains in this position when the swing saddle and arm assembly is raised and swung away from the fluted bottom rolls 11 and 13.

It will be understood, of course, that the weight loads on the back rolls 12 and 13 may be adjusted, as desired, by using various tension springs 57 to give a range of weight loads of from 10 to'40 pounds or any weight in between that which may be required.

What is claimed is:

1. In a drawing mechanism for spinning and roving frames, the combination with front and rear pairs of top and bottom drawing rolls and an intermediate pair of top and bottom apron rolls, said top apron roll being supported in a cradle and said cradle being supported on said bottom apron roll, a combined top roll supporting and Weighting arm pivotally mounted at the rear end thereof for swinging movement in a vertical plane toward and from a position overlying said bottom rolls, a saddle suspended at an intermediate portion thereof from the forward part of said weight ng arm, said saddle including means for maintaining the top apron roll in fixed relation to the top front drawing roll, said saddle having a front arm extension releasably supporting said front top drawing roll and for applying positive constant roll weighting pressure thereto and a rear arm extension for engaging and applying positive constant roll weighting pressure to said top apron roll, means for applying positive constant roll weighting pressure to said saddle, means supporting said rear top drawing roll on said weighting arm, and means for applying roll weighting pressure onto said rear top drawing roll.

2. A drawing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, in which said means for applying positive constant roll weighting pressure to said saddle includes a depending stirrup pivotally connected at its upper end to said saddle and having its lower end connected to a positively weighted lever arm.

3. A drawing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, in which said saddle is mounted by screw means to said weighting arm for bodily adjustment back and forth longitudinally of such arm to vary the positions of the associated top rolls to accommodate for any fine adjustments in settings of the bottom apron roll relative to the bottom front roll.

4. A drawing mechanism as claimed in claim 1 further comprising arbors on which the front and rear top rolls are fast, a ball bearing unit the outer race member of which is held stationary and rigid but in removable fashion to the supporting arm of the mechanism, the

inner race of said ball bearing unit being fast to said arbor.

5. A drawing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, in which the front and rear top drawing rolls each are provided with a central ball bearing unit, and the arm member is recessed to partially house and fit said ball bearing units, and there are provided releasable retaining means individual to each of said ball bearing units and affixed to said arm member in engagement against the lower peripheral surface of said ball bearing units to retain and secure the latter against rotation in the recesses of the supporting arm.

6. A drawing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, in which the front and rear top drawing rolls each are provided with a central ball bearing unit, and the arm member is recessed to partially house and fit said ball bearing units, and there are provided spring fingers individual to each of said ball bearing units and atfixed to said arm member in engagement against the lower peripheral surface of said ball bearing units to retain and secure the latter against rotation in the recesses of the supporting arm.

7. For use with a spinning frame having a lower intermediate roll and an intermediate cradle assembly journalled to rock about the lower intermediate roll and including aprons having adjacent runs and having front rolls having a draft nip therebetween, adjusting means adapted to be secured to the frame and adapted to be coupled to the cradle assembly and accessible for adjustment during spinning operations for angularly rocking the cradle assembly about the lower intermediate roll to cause the adjacent apron runs to aline with the draft nip of the front rolls, said adjusting means having a part adapted when assembled to the frame to engage the cradleassembly in all angular positions of adjustment of the assembly to avoid any casual movement of the cradle assembly.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the part of said adjusting means which engages the cradle assembly in all angular positions of adjustment is a segment of a bearing block for the cradle assembly which is secured to and adjustable with the adjusting means.

9. For use with a spinning frame having a lower intermediate roll and an intermediate cradle assembly journaled to rock about the lower intermediate roll and ineluding aprons having adjacent runs, said frame having front rolls having a draft nip therebetween, and said frame having a pivoted weight arm, adjusting means adapted to be mounted in the weight arm and adapted to be coupled to the cradle assembly and accessible for adjustment during spinning operations for angularly rocking the cradle assembly about the lower intermediate roll to cause the adjacent apron runs to aline with the draft nip of the front rolls, and means adapted to be assembled to the frame in position to engage the cradle assembly in all angular positions of adjustment of the assembly to avoid any casual movement of the cradle assembly.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9 in which the means adapted to be coupled to the cradle assembly is a saddle adjustably carried by the weight arm connected to be shifted back and forth relatively to the weight arm by said adjusting means and having a bearing engaging the cradle assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,595,041 Wright Apr. 29, 1952 2,675,587 Raible et a1 Apr. 20, 1954 2,694,837 Wright Nov. 23, 1954 2,746,095 Dausch May 22, 1956 2,810,938 Rulon-Miller et al Oct. 29, 1957 2,834,996 Rulon-Miller et al. May 20, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 918,014 Germany Sept. 16, 1954 1,030,206 France Mar. 11, 1953 

